Eco Factor: Limited-color screens consume less power.
Unlike LCD displays, which consume the same amount of energy irrespective of the brightness of the screen, the energy consumed by OLED displays, which are looking to replace the now ubiquitous LCD displays, change according to the color being displayed and the brightness of the screen. Researchers at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, are trying to use this property of OLED displays to make them consume less power when more battery life is needed.
The system is based on a new color palette designed by the researchers, which consumes less energy than conventional CIELAB color space. The images displayed using the new color space lose minimum quality, but can slash power consumption by as much as 40%.
The technology is not intended to be used in TV displays, where better quality is the only criterion people look for before purchasing. Rather, it is to be used in cellphones, where the power consumed by certain applications can be reduced to make the battery last longer.
Via: NewScientist
